Training and firing mechanism for guns.



J. F. MEIGS &4 S. A. S. HAMMAR. TRAINING AND FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 4, 1907.

Patented July 6,1909.

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TRAINING AND FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Patented Ju1y'6, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1907.

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TRAINING AND FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

- APPLICATION TILED FEB. 4, 1907.

' 927,260. Patented July 6, 1909.

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JOI IN MEIGS AND SIGARD A. S. HAMMAR, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAINING AND FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 190a.

Application filed February 4, 1907. Serial No. 866,768.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN F. Mines and SIGARD A. S. HAMMAR, a citizen of the United States and a subject of the King of Sweden, respectively, residing at South Bethlehem, Northampton county, State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Imelectrical means for firing the gun at the in-,

stant when the tained.

In the accompanying drawing means for imparting the verticaladjustment, orelevating the n are shown, but it will be understood t at the present invention Lrelates proper adjustment is ateaually to means for imparting a horizontal iustment to, or training,'the gun.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing, which,

Fi ure 1 is a side elevation of part of a'gun and its carriage, illustrating the resent invention Fig. 2 is a section on the fine =22 of Fig. 1-; Fig. 3 is an enlargement of part of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on j-theline 5'-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a 'per'spective view of parts shown in Fig. 4; F' 7 is a section on the line 7 of Fig. 4; and-Fig.8 is aside elevation of the contact devices viewed fmzn the line8ofFig'. 4.

Referring gun tube, 11 the sleevejwhichis'provided with trunnions 12 mounted inia-suitablecarriage'13, 14 one of the recoil cgiinders, and--15. device. These .parts a telesco e or'sight' may be iii an y'desi g construction. I

' The elevating mechanism comprises a screw 15, the lower end ofwln'ch cooperates with a'swiveled nntlfi mountedin trunnions 17 in a bracket 18 on the can'iage 13. The

upper end of the screw 15 is mounted in a bracket or castin 19 which is hung u on a shaft 20, the she bearing in a bracket 21 coni1ected with the sleeve 11. The screw 15 is turned b means of a gear 22 fast on the upper on of the:-

to the drawing, indicates the 20 being supp'orte in a screw, and a gear 23 carried by the shaft 20. The shaft 20 is turned by means of two crank handles,24, 25, which handles are connected with wheels on the ends of the shaft.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, 27, 28 indicate two insulated non-rotating conducting rings mounted in the bracket 21 concentric with the crank shaft 20. As shown-in Fig. 7 these rings are electrically connected by insulated conductors 29, 30 with wires 31, 32which are in circuit with the mechanism for detonating the primer of the gun and with a suitable source of electrical energy. This circuit-is normally open between the rings 27,

28, and novel means for closing the circuit to pfiect the firing of the gun is provided a'sfol- OWSZ' j Referring particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the hand wheel or crank 33 which carries the handle 25, also carries a contact pieceor pin in the axisof the handle 25 opposite the ring 28, the two contact pins being connected by a flexible conductor 37. The pin 36 is mounted in a slide 38 which is normally pushed away from the ring 28 by a sprlng 39; The normal break in the firing circuit is therefore between the contact pin 36and the ring 28. Means are provided for clos1ngj the circuit by pressin the pin 36 agalnst the ring 28 as follows:.T e slide 38' is arranged to move axially in a cylindrical shell 40.

On the slide is fixed a ring 41 which is connected with the slide by spokes 42. The,

ring 41 rides on the outside of the shell 40, the spokes 42 extending through slots 43 in said shell. The spring 39 presses against a ring or shoulder 44 on, the inside of the shell 40 and against a head 45 on the slide 38. The shell 40 is rigidly connected wlth the crank wheel 33 by suitable means, such as the screw 46, and it isprovidedwlth a slot 47 through which the conductor 37 passes. The handle 25 is swiveled on the shell 40 being held thereon by suitable means such as the pin 48 which enters an annular groove- 49 inan extension 50, which is securely connected with the shell. Rigidly connected with thehandle 25 is a bracket 51 upon 5 mechanism as well as to the elevating screw which is pivoted a trigger 52 having an arm 53, the extremity 91 which stands back of the ring 41. A

Heretofore in mechanism for electrical fir- 5 ing of guns, the electrical connectionshave been more or less com licated and liable to become deranged. T e electrical connections herein described are extremely simple.

. in their character rendering failure in firing.

1c practically impossible. Only one contact is requiredto be made, and the operation of the movable element ofthe contact is positive. The ring 28 being concentric with the shaft 20 about which the handle 25 revolves, it

will be evidentthat the contact pin 36 is always opposite a portion of the ring. The ring 41, which is connected with the contact piece or pin 36, rotates with respect to theandle 25, but the trigger arm. 53 is always in position to engage some point of this ring to close the contact. One of the features of the invention essential to its simplicity and reliabilityis the placing of the contact pin 7 or piece 36 in the axis of-the handle 25,'in" combination with the ring 28..

a It will be evident that certain changes in y the mechanical details of the structuremay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is obvious that the inner ring 27' and coptact piece 34 may be reversed, the ring being placed'on the crank wheel 33 and the contact piece on the fixed bracket 19, in which case the conductor 37 would be connectd withthe ring and the 5 conductor 29 with the contact piece. 'The details of the .means for connecting the handle 25 with; the crank and for operating the contact piece 36 by the trigger may also be changed, but the preferred form is that 4 illustrated and described.

The handles 24, 25, are arranged diametrically opposite to each other so that while the gunner is pulling on one handle he may be pushing on the other with the same effort,

thus steadying his body and permitting him to keep his eye constantly on the sight 15. In other words, the handles are arranged so that they -move in opposite directions with respect to the gunner at the same time, that is, one of themcoming toward him while the; other is moving away. At the moment the' gun is properly sighted it-ma' begfii'ed by ulling the trigger 52, while st' grasping. the andle 25. In case the object is moving, the

gun may be fired while the gunner is moving the handles to follow the object.-

It will be evident tl1at the gearing, cranks,

and firing mechanism herein described may -be applied to drive any form of training illustrated, and the invention-is, therefore, not limited simply to elevating mechanism.

'Having described the invention what is claimed is means for m ving the gun' comprising suitable gearing and a crank having a handle, of electric firing mechanism comprising a nonrotating conducting ring and a cooperating contact piece movably mounted on the crank and means on the crank for moving said contact piece. into and out of engagement with said ring. a Y 1 2. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the gun comprising suit- 'able gearing and a crank having a handle, of electric firing mechanism comprising a nonrotating ,conducting ring independent of the crank and a cooperating contact piece movably mounted on the crank, sald contact piece being coaxial with the handle.

3. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the gun comprising suitable gearing and a crank having a handle, of electric firing mechanism comprising a nonrotating conducting ring independent of the crank and a cooperating contact piece movably mounted on the crank, said contact piece being coaxial with the handle, and means on the handle for moving said contact piece into engagement with said ring to close the firing circuit.

4. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the gun comprising suitabl gearing and a crank having a handle, of 95' two non-rotating conducting rings, a contact piece arranged to travel on one of said rings, a second'contact carried by the crank opposite the second ring and normallyseparated therefrom and means for moving said contact piece into engagement with said ring.

5. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the gun comprising suitable gearing and a crank having a handle, of two non-rotating conducting rings, a contact piece arranged to travel on one of said rings, and a second contact carried by the crank opposite the second ring and coaxial with the crank handle. I 7

6. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the un comprising suitable earing and a cra having a rotatable hand e, of'two-rings concentric withthe axis of the crank, one of said rings being opposite the axis of the crank handle, a slide movably 115 mounted in the handle, an insulated contact plece carried by said slide and normally separated-from the corresponding contact ring, a trlgg married by the'handle for closingsaid' contact piece upon the ring, and a second contact piece nornially in engagement with the other ring. v

7. The combination with a gun and with means for moving. thel'gin comprising suitable; .earing anilfa' cra havinga rotatable han e, of two contactrings concentric with the crank, a contact'piece normall in engagement with one of said rings, a s ide car ried by the crank and coaxial with the han- 65 1. The combination witha gun and with I die, a ring fixed on said slide, a trigger car- I prising suitable gearing and two diametrically opposite handles arranged in proximity to the sighting device and connected with said gearing for moving the gun while sight ing the same, of electrical firing means comprising two contact rings, and two contact pieces cooperating with said rings, one'of said contact'pieces being mounted coaxially in one of said handles.

9. The combination with a gun, a sighting device, and means for moving the gun comprising suitable gearing and two diametrically opposite handles arranged in proximity to the sighting device and connected with said gearing for moving the gun while sighting the same, of electrical firing means comprising two contact rings and two contact pieces cooperating with said rings, one of said contact pieces being mounted coaxially in one of said handles, the handle being rotatable with respect/to said contact piece and provided with a trigger for closing the contact.

' 10. In an electrical firing device for guns, the combination with gearing for moving the gun, of a crankfor turning said gearing, a shell rigidly connected to said crank, a'handle rotatably mounted on said shelland provided with a trigger, a slide within the shell having a part constantly in the path of said trigger, a contact piece carried by said slide,

and a relatively fixed rin coaxial with said 7 contact iece and normal y separated therefrom, said contact piece and ring being included in an electrical firing circuit.

' 1-1. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the gun comprising suitable gearing and a crank having a handle, of electric firing mechanism comprising a nonrotating conducting ring and a cooperating I contact piece movably mounted on the crank, and means on the handle for moving said contact piece axially into engagement with said ring to close the firing circuit.

12. The combination with a gun and with means for moving the gun comprising suitable gearing and a crank having a handle, of two conducting rings which are stationary with respect to the crank, a contact piece arranged to travel on one of said rings, asec- 0nd contact carried by the crank opposite the second ring and normally separated therefrom, and means carried by the crank handle for moving said second contact into engagement with the ring to close the firing circuit.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two'witnesses.

, JOHN. F. Mares 'Witnesses:

' EDWIN. A. MILLER,

JOHN A. DWYER.

SIGARD A. S. HAMMAR. 

